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May 14, 2012

A Mother-Daughter Date At Skoah (AKA. My First Facial)

I've passed by the skoah. location in Metrotown many times and have always been intrigued by it. I told myself numerous times that I would one day treat myself to a facial there. Well, my dears, the time has come! I wanted to surprise my mom with a facial for Mother's Day (which didn't turn out to be much of a surprise, because I had to make sure she would even want to have one), so I figured I would treat myself to one as well.

I chose to go with the Facialiscious, which is probably the most relaxing and most indulgent facial skoah. has to offer. For my mom, I chose the Power Hour, since it seemed to be the choice she would most likely go for (she didn't want to have lots of massage done). Here's what skoah. has to say about these two facials:

Power Hour - In under an hour, you'll enjoy muscle melting massage while powerful masks get your skin in shape. This full facial also includes extra attention to your peepers and pout - great for smoothing our your signs of wisdom.

skoah. locations are set up like stores; they have a front desk and products displayed throughout the front of the store. Unlike a traditional spa, which would have a sitting area for guests as they wait for their appointment.

My mom and I went to the South Granville location because there are lots of cute little boutiques in that area for us to check out after our facial... As soon as I walked in, I was greeted by my skincare trainer, Kim. Before I get to the actual facial, I have to talk about the staff at skoah. Kim and Stefanie (my mom's skincare trainer) were both absolutely lovely and really took care of my mom and I. In fact, more than the facial itself, my mom found that the best thing about the entire experience was how Stefanie treated her. The thought of having a complete stranger touching you can be slightly awkward, but both Kim and Stefanie had very gentle hands. My mom and I both felt absolutely comfortable and relaxed with them.

The room was dimly lit and had soothing music playing softly. The bed was also very comfortable and heated, so I stayed warm even though I was only in my underwear.

There were three different massages incorporated into the facial, which were done while certain products were left to do their work on the skin: a foot/leg massage, a neck/shoulders/arms/hands massage, and a scalp massage. I'm not really one to get massages done, but this was absolutely divine! I definitely have to start getting more of them! For the massage, Kim used the Sweet Love Kream, which smelled like cinnamon and vanilla. Now, if you know me, you know I love the scent of vanilla, so I was in absolute heaven during those massages.

Each product Kim used smelled so lovely; they never smelled harsh or overly synthetic, and none of them gave me a reaction. A cleanser, toner, exfoliating mask, serum, eye cream, two masks (one to calm down my skin after the exfoliation and another to hydrate the skin), lip balm, and two moisturizers were used for me. Kim based her choices on the concerns I enumerated to her at the beginning of our session and I was very pleased with the end result.

My skin looked more even, felt really hydrated (though not greasy at all), felt really soft and smooth, and just looked so much better overall. Because the products are not harsh in the least, I walked out of skoah. with absolutely no redness or irritation on my skin. I also felt incredibly relaxed and ready to spend the rest of the day hanging out with my mom (which is so stressful!).

I was also given a complimentary body wash and I decided to purchase the aha mask Kim used on me during the facial. She recommended using an aha mask instead of a physical exfoliant because I have some sensitivity on my cheeks (which I completely forgot to tell her about, but she could tell after using the exfoliating mask on me).

Something else that impressed me about skoah.'s products is that they're a combination of plant based and active ingredients (99% of their face and body products have an 11-plant blend) and are made in small batches that are made locally in Vancouver to make sure that they're very fresh.

I really cannot rave enough about my experience at skoah. (I've actually convinced Winnie to go for a facial herself)! Everything about the session was absolutely lovely; from the staff to the products, from the massages to the end result. And skoah. has many types of facials available. If you're looking for something quick or something indulgent, they've got a facial for you. They have locations all over the lower mainland, some in North Vancouver, some in Calgary, and one in Boston. So if you're in any of those areas, be sure to step in for a facial. You won't regret it!